Reward
by Dark Mirage1
Summary: Adam digs down into his pockets and offers a cash reward.
1. Chapter 1

**2008**

_Mason _

"I apologize for summoning you both to Genomex at this hour. You will understand in a moment."

The windowless conference room looked much the same at 2.30 AM as it did at 2.30 PM, but casual blue jeans and shirts worn by Emma and Jesse betrayed the late hour outside of usual bounds.

"Sending a squad of GSA in the middle of the night certainly got our attention. If you hadn't phoned ahead of time, we would have panicked."

Jesse sounded calm not, but twenty-five minutes ago when I awakened him with word that he and Emma must leave their house and come to Genomex in the GS SUV that was very nearly at their house.

"I was informed perhaps five minutes before waking you. You are both in danger."

I adjusted the laptop to project the web page onto the conference room screen, and allowing the audio to play.

_REWARD: 50 kilograms of gold for the capture and live delivery of Jesse Kilmartin or Emma deLauro_

_Kilmartin and deLauro have betrayed their fellow mutants by collaborating with Genomex and the Genetic Security Agency. They have used their familiarity with Mutant X and the Underground to place thousands of innocent mutants at risk of arrest._

_For these crimes and others, they are wanted by and will be prosecuted by the Council of Mutant Justice._

_Council of Mutant Justice  
__Adam Kane, MD PhD  
_

"This…notice began appearing shortly after midnight on a handful of select sites, then spread onto hundreds of others. I was awakened as soon as it was authenticated, and in turn, I awoke you."

"Wow. We should be flattered," Emma said.

"That's a lot of money," Jesse added. "About a million dollars."

"I had no idea Adam's pockets were still so deep. With Sanctuary flooded and the Underground discredited, I thought Adam's empire would be undone. I was wrong. He appears to have resources no one suspected."

"Adam loves his little secrets," Emma said.

"Has anyone ever heard of this Council of Mutant Justice?" Jesse asked.

"No. Before you arrived, I initiated a search of all databases, and woke up April. No one has heard of them."

"I wouldn't be surprised if this Council consisted solely of Adam," Jesse said.

"Nor would I. His pose of 'mutant savior' knows few bounds. Your house is being watched—inside and out—by several agents. With your permission, we can do an electronic sweep of the hours, yard, and cars to root out anything that does not belong." I paused. I did not think Emma and Jesse would hide anything from me, but I dared not go ahead with such a search without first asking. Only a few minutes' delay would be incurred, but if I lost their trust, I might never regain it.

"Go," Jesse said. "I was going to request that if you hadn't asked.

I nodded and sent a text message to the electronics team.

"As always, you are free to come and go as you please, but you are welcome to stay within Genomex until we can be more certain what we are dealing with."

"I'm not going home. Adam's got some dangerous friends who would do almost anything for a lot less than a million dollars." Emma paused. "I can do a psychic search for him."

"Are you sure you want to open yourself to that kind of risk?" I asked. Adam would be expecting this from Emma. He would be prepared to defend himself. He had mutants with the proper talents as allies, he would be prepared to counter-attack. Emma knew this as well as I did.

"Yeah. But first, I want to get some sleep, have a decent breakfast, and give Adam a chance to wake up."

"Understandable. None of the secure guest quarters are in use. You can take your pick."

"I didn't know Adam hated us so much," Emma said softly. "It's rather disturbing."

"Adam's empire is falling down. He will never attribute that to the hollowness of his pose as mutant savior. He has to blame someone else, so he blames me, and now you."

"What about Shalimar?" Jesse asked.

"I've already spoken to her. But Shalimar is different; Adam perceives her as someone who deserted His Great Cause. He sees the two of you as _traitors_."

Emma returned to my office later in the day during ordinary working hours. She was still wearing blue jeans, but looked a good deal calmer.

"I slept really well. The new guest suites are incredibly quiet."

"Good. I hope you don't need to stay there very long. Your house is perfectly secure. I'm keeping it occupied and watched constantly to prevent any surprises being introduced."

"I'm going to have to do something about clothes," Emma laughed. "Jesse, too."

"Order new items. That is the safest solution. I'll sign off on whatever you need. Things can be delivered this afternoon or someone can pick them up."

"Thanks. Something else. Well, this may sound trivial."

"What is it?"

"Some of my outdoor plants are going to need water."

"I'll see to that." I made a note on my computer. "I've been thinking about this psychic search for Adam…and plant the notion that he should call me and offer up some taunts? He enjoys that kind of thing. Perhaps as I attack from one side, you can go in from another."

Emma smiled at me. "Sounds good. I'm ready."

I nodded.

Emma sat down, closed her eyes, and became very still for several moments.

"There! It felt like he was awake."

"As quick as that?"

"Yeah."

"Nicely done. Now…if only Adam will cooperate and get back to us."

"I don't know if he'll get back to you _that_ quickly….although I did imply urgent need."

"Give him a few minutes to arrange his precious time."

"I did my best."

Indeed she had. Before fifteen minutes passed, a video call came through.

"It's untraceable…for now. There aren't many people who know about this line. Adam is one of them."

I opened the channel. Adam's image came into focus. He looked a little less rested than the last time I had seen him. I feigned surprise, which he would expect.

"Adam. Set up in a new home, I see."

"Don't even try to track this."

_As if I would do as you tell me_.

"I would expect you to be too clever to use a channel vulnerable to tracing."

Adam probably believed that, but as a matter of policy, all incoming calls to this very private line were automatically traced, no matter how unpromising the hunt appeared initially. Sometimes the procedure worked, sometimes it failed, but we always tried. Flattering Adam's ego and keeping him off balance was always a good distraction, and in this case gave Emma more time to work.

Adam laughed nervously. He believed what I had said.

"One thing has always puzzled me, Adam: why you did not fade away into a third world setting and put your considerable talent to practical use. No one would have noticed what had become of you had you practiced medicine."

_You could have actually helped some real sick children_.

"And made myself an easy target for you to find?"

"Had you occupied yourself with some positive endeavor, like medicine, I would have turned a blind eye to you, and directly my resources elsewhere."

Whether Adam believed it or not, I spoke truth. Adam saving the lives of children suffering from life-threatening diarrhea and fevers was a greater good than anything that could come from his prosecution and imprisonment. I suppose very few people would believe it now, after everything else that has happened.

"As if you would give up."

"I'm charged with a specific mission. Had you ceased to be an antagonist to that mission, I could easily justify re-directing resources elsewhere."

_For the time being, anyway. As long as you behaved yourself_.

"You would have just let me go off on my own, no interference?"

"Why not? You would be neutralized as effectively as if you were locked away."

As fervently as I wished to bring Adam to justice, if he brought medicine to a third world backwater, that was a positive thing. And I could always have him watched."

"My passport is still current."

I did not answer him immediately. The longer I could draw out this chat, the more time Emma had to work. "It's too late for that, Adam."

"And why is that?"

I was surprised he had to ask, but Adam always did have difficulty facing up to past sins.

"Your association with criminals."

He looked surprised. Adam's sense of self was amazing.

"You _do_ recall your last visit to Genomex? Several of my people were murdered at their desks and in their labs. Police take a dim view of killing. So do I."

I could discern from his expression that he had nudged this unpleasantness from his mind.

"Which I would think would give you even great motivation to atone for your past sins and crimes."

_How does he sleep at night?_

Curiously, he seemed to have no purpose in calling. He had responded spontaneously to Emma's prompting without considering why he was doing so.

"What am I supposed to do, Mason?"

"Good question. I have not checked, but I would guess that you now have as many felony warrants as Brennan Mulwray."

_That_ made him angry. Not that a great deal was required to anger Adam, but he resented comparison to his pet thug. However, it was true, so he could say nothing in defense.

"I think this discussion is over."

"Call again when you feel the need to chat." My casual tone angered him even more. Good.

He broke the connection. I turned to Emma.

"Well?"

"He's living in a former safe house. I have impressions of the neighborhood. He may not be far away. He's hiding the Helix out of sight in a rented steel building. Brennan is still with him. One important thing: someone is helping him from the inside of an intelligence group. A woman. That is part of how he has dodged us so far."

"A woman? A very _thin_ woman, thin to the point of gauntness?"

"Yes. Do you know who it is?"

"I have a pretty good idea."

"There is an emotional tie between them. She's doing this for Adam, not for herself. Who is she, Mason? I'm dying."

"Christina. An old girlfriend of Adam's."

"Yes! I remember. Highly strung. Wild mood swings."

"Even Adam found her trying. They were a volatile combination. Did you meet her?"

Emma giggled. "Not exactly. But she had such a distracting, disturbing effect on Adam that it was hard not to pick up on the times he had talked to her."

"She is putting her career and freedom at risk by helping Adam."

"I have the impression she just doesn't care."

"She used to be smarter than that. I cannot order surveillance of Christina, but April can, and will, if I ask. I've cleaned Adam's influence out of Genomex; I cannot have it return by another door."

Adam had had people at all levels in the organization. No wonder he had known most every move before I made it. After twenty years at Genomex, his allies were everywhere; after he left, he kept those contacts open. Since they were not criminal in nature, there wasn't much anyone could do about them for several years.

I was almost disappointed with the news about Christina. She was neither a friend nor an ally of mine, and never had been, but she had a lot of years in the organization, and once she was revealed as helping Adam, morale would be affected. Perhaps I could do something cleanly…quietly...quickly, if removing Christina became a necessity.

Was Christina the source, in whole or part, of Adam's fortunes? She had access to funds, unquestioned access earned in the course of a career notable for reliability and trustworthiness, despite the headache of dealing with the very emotional agent.

If Christina was assisting fugitive Adam, not only was her career over, but so was her life as a free woman.

"Where is she working now?"

"I'll have to find out."


	2. Chapter 2

"Adam, does this dress make me look fat?"

Adam glanced up from his computer monitor, irritated with Christina's interruptions. She was wearing a sundress with yellow polka dots on a bright pink background so dazzling he felt his eyes ache.

"No, Christina." He returned his attention to the monitor.

"You didn't even look!" Christina whined, crestfallen

"Yes, I _did_."

"Well, do you like it?" she chirped.

"It's nice."

"Oh, damn, Adam, I spent all day shopping for something special, and the way _you_ act, I could be wearing any old rag. I should have just gone to Discount City and grabbed something from the clearance rack."

"Christina, it's a nice dress. A very nice dress." Adam felt a vague dread, sensing that her emotions were on the knife-edge of spinning out of control. He didn't have time for her drama.

"Wish I had somewhere to wear it," she pouted.

"We've discussed this."

Indeed they had. Adam was perfectly aware that the GSA was actively hunting him, and that the last thing he dared do was draw needless attention to himself.

"The GSA is inept. Just ask Eckhart."

"I'm not prepared to bet my safety and freedom upon the high likelihood that if I come upon any GSA, they'll be inattentive and incompetent…although most likely they will be."

"I do what I can to undermine recruitment and training," Christina giggled.

If anyone who worked with or for Christina could see her giggling while wearing an eye numbing yellow on pink polka dot dress, she would never again have any credibility with them again, Adam thought.

"If Mason figures out you're sabotaging the GSA, your career is over. He'll ruin you."

"I'm very careful, Adam."

"I'm serious. Mason has allies who will back him up without hesitation. A few words to them, and you'll be shuffling paper in a subterranean office, if you still have a job. You'll barely have time to pack a pencil. I saw him do this—I'm sure he still operates this way."

Adam didn't even want to bring up the matter of the money Christina was siphoning out of some dark corner of assorted black budgets. That she had been able to do so for years was proof of her skill at such…_thievery_, and he did not want to question her too closely and lead her to change methods…and possibly get sloppy, and worse, get caught.

"Such dreary talk, Adam. I think I know how Mason Eckhart operates. I worked with him long enough. This is so depressing. Can't we just go out and get sandwiches?"

"Okay, damn it, let's go to Burger King."

"Eee, maybe they'll have paper crowns!" Christina squealed.

"One thing."

"What's that?"

"Change the dress."

Christina's expression wilted. She went on the attack. "What are you going to do with all of that money I brought you?"

"Well…" Adam hesitated. Sure, Christina brought the cash, but did her really _owe_ her much of an explanation? "There are a lot of things I need, like spare parts for this bird. If I don't have the _Helix_, my travel is limited...and I lose a good place to hide."

"Makes sense. I just don't want to see any of it going towards hot cars for _Brennan_."

Christina had taken an immediate, visceral dislike to Brennan. Soon after meeting him, Christina was puzzled by the way a brilliant research scientist so obviously favored an unaccomplished career criminal. Without telling Adam, she delved into Brennan's background, eliminating her initial misgivings while creating fresh ones. She could not quite bring herself to admit her jealousy of Brennan.

Adam laughed nervously. "At this very moment, he's probably _stealing_ a hot car somewhere to generate some spending money."

"Brennan is no criminal mastermind. When he gets arrested for grand theft auto, make sure that there isn't any trail leading back to you. You can bet your life that Eckhart has "Brennan Mulwray" red-flagged in hourly database searches of national arrest reports."

"You worry too much."

"I worry about _you_."

The throb in her voice emphasizing "you" he found intolerably affecting. Adam never knew quite what to say to Christina whenever she spoke in such an overwrought, emotional fashion.

"Let's go eat."

"Don't you look around and make note of landmarks when you park in a big lot?"

"No," Christina answered quietly, still clutching her golden paper Burger King crown.

Adam scowled. "I had to wait three and a half hours in that parking lot for you."

"Well, I had to wander around that parking lot for three and a half hours in the dark searching for an invisible plane, looking over my shoulder for the GSA."

Adam's patience was gone. He had not cared for Burger King since the 'Whaler' sandwich was eliminated from the menu. The fish sandwiches replacing the Whaler were never equal to the original.

"This was not a good idea. I'm not sure how the hell they found me, but if I hadn't been facing the front door and seen these guys stroll in, you might have had a _long_ walk home."

Tears welled up in Christina's eyes. "When I came out of the little girls' room, you were gone, with only your crown left on the seat."

Adam recalled feeling supremely foolish as he made eye contact with the GS agents, tossing aside the silly-making crown, and bounding up out of his seat and over the tabletops towards the back door, sliding on someone's fried onion rings as he plunged towards his sole chance of escape.

"It's going to be days before I'll be able to sleep," Christina whimpered.

Adam didn't doubt it.

Mason

"They had him in plain sight. The lighting was good and the view unobstructed."

Rebecca was reading the field report on the monitor over my shoulder. "Adam was wearing a _crown_?"

"This happened at a Burger King."

"Ah…then he wasn't alone?"

"The agents found signs of only one meal."

"The other person may have been done eating. Adam wouldn't have made a spectacle of himself wearing a Burger King crown to amuse strangers. No, he'd do that only for someone with some kind of leverage on him. Perhaps Christina."

"Perhaps. Unfortunately, they lost Adam in the dark and were not prepared to search for a stealth aircraft on the ground."

"Too bad. Adam's incredible luck continues. Where's Christina supposed to be?"

"Home. But she isn't answering her home phone this weekend. She is not on call, so she is not bound to be available."

"Does she know Emma?"

"She should know her on sight. Rebecca, why would an intelligent woman—and despite her flaws, Christina is intelligent—ally herself with a man like Adam?"

"I can explain it to you, but I'll warn you that it isn't rational," she sighed. "There are women who would be thrilled with someone like Adam. For a lot of women, science and math are impenetrable arcane mastered only by men and a handful of "unnatural" women. From their point of view, Adam's technical work seems nearly like magic. They would stand in unquestioning awe of someone they considered an intellectual giant."

I closed my eyes, and reflected upon what I knew of Adam's relationships with women. Rebecca's description was most fitting, as I mused upon Danielle, Christina, and yes, Jackie.

"And they would not question his actions or motives."

"They would not understand enough of the science to question Adam's ethics. Even if they understood some of it, they may well lack intellectual honesty or energy."

"How do they live with themselves?"

"That's the easiest part. Society makes it easy to be a follower, especially for women."

"So, between being awed by Adam and being intellectually lazy, Christina might be willing to risk career and freedom?"

"Depends upon the depth of her attachment to Adam. Women form attachments to a lot of unworthy men, Mason."

"Christina has been around, off and on, longer than any of the others."

"Perhaps she's desperate."

"I'm having her watched. April is quietly having her access to funds investigated. If anything is missing, a wider investigation will begin."

Rebecca

"Welcome to Genomex, Ms Tupolev." I wore my best corporate smile, producing a near perfect facsimile of human warmth. "I'm Dr Steyn."

"Oh, I've been here before. I used to work here," Christina offered, taking in the evidence of improved security. She pinned on her visitor's badge identifying her as part of the same organization as Genomex, but not based permanently at this site. "But it wasn't like this."

We shook hands, and then I continued. "That's why I'm here to escort you to Mr Eckhart's office. Procedures here have changed. Whatever applied before may no longer be in effect. I wasn't present, but some months ago the site was invaded by a gang of heavily armed thugs."

"I read a report about that." She threw that comment out casually, as if she was speaking about a change in the landscaping.

"Several people were murdered at their desks. This very corridor was splattered with blood." My smile gone, I had turned serious and grave.

"I don't think the report went into that detail."

I had read the same report. The aftermath of Adam's commando assault had been described in unpleasant detail. Conveniently, Christina had forgotten that.

"Mr Eckhart resolved to protect everyone here. The site is more defensible, and internal control is tighter. There are a number of instrumentally detected events which will trigger a security response without waiting for a supervisor to make that decision."

I informed her only in the most general terms. She didn't need to know, for example, that permanently issued badges had panic button capabilities, or that at least one employee in each section was armed.

I couldn't quite read this woman; I could not tell if she was reacting to horror she had repressed, if her shoes pinched her feet, or if her mind was occupied with an altogether unsuspected matter. So, I changed the subject.

"We've set aside a pleasant suite for you."

"_Here_?"

"Yes. Genomex now has a limited number of guest suites and temporary living quarters."

"But I already have a reservation at the Marriott."

"This is another new policy. It's for your own convenience and safety. Recently, there have been threats against some of our personnel, proving the wisdom of the policy."

"This is awkward."

_No, contacting Adam from inside Genomex will be awkward_.

I ignored what I knew she meant and replied to an alternate but plausible interpretation.

"Oh, the suites are very pleasant, with premium satellite tv, high speed Internet access, and excellent food service 24/7. I'm sure you'll be quite comfortable."

I smiled, and enjoyed the sight of her internal squirming.

_Of course, we'll monitor all of your communications. And you'll find your cell phone jammed anywhere on site by the badge you're wearing. Won't you be surprised_?

"I believe Mr Eckhart has an open schedule this afternoon, so you will have plenty of time to talk to him."

"Oh, that's good."

Christina naturally expected such priority treatment given her present position and responsibilities. She had to harbor some anxiety being dispatched unexpected to Genomex on a few hours' notice for a meeting with Mason. The prospect of just talking to Mason made most people nervous, if not physically ill with a headache or upset stomach. My purpose was to further unsettle her, as was the next step in her welcome. I left her at the door to Mason's office.

Emma

You've all seen the movies with someone entering an office, expecting to find one person behind the desk in a high-backed office chair only to be shocked! stunned! and horrified! when the chair's occupant spins the chair about, revealing someone else.

"Mason?"

I watched Christina enter Mason's office by the reflected image in the glass and delayed turning the chair until the last possible moment. Christina's uncertainty translated to greater vulnerability to my probing.

"Mason's attending to an emergency. He'll be along shortly."

Of course we had arranged this ahead of time. I could probe more effectively if people were off balance.

Christina stopped and studied my pleasant, smiling face.

"You used to be with Adam. Your name is de Lauro."

"Emma deLauro."

Adam thought of us as tools, so not surprisingly, Christina had adopted his attitude. She never paid much attention to us as individuals. She wasn't sure of my name until I confirmed what she said.

"You were part of Mutant X."

Images and emotions flooded by mind. Mason warned me that Christina was highly strung. He had not exaggerated.

Matters involving Adam triggered more information that I could coherently sort out. Christina's involvement was deeper than we had known; I perceived images of Sanctuary during all stages of its construction, along with the procedure Christina had used to siphon black project funds into an account used by Adam. Christina had even arranged for some of the contractors, convincing them that Sanctuary was a clandestine agency project instead of a private one. All the impressions of Adam were highly emotional, even confused.

_Can't Adam treat anyone well_?

Over and over again, Christina demonstrated loyalty, even devotion to Adam, and in return, he took her for granted. _Typical Adam_. I felt a twinge of sympathy for Christina.

But only a brief twinge, because Christina knew all along what Adam was doing and planning. He never deceived or misled her. He never had to. Quite willingly, she had supported all of his schemes, beginning years ago when she worked at this site. I knew all of this, and something more: she was still helping him.

_Gotcha_.

Just knowing this much was valuable; in Christina we now had a prime focus for our efforts in tracking down Adam.

"I _was_ part of Mutant X. I left when I couldn't stand being used for an unclear purpose, or having my personal life dictated by someone else."

Knowing what I know now, about the application and control of my powers, I could have stopped Adam from ever annoying anyone ever again. I could have selectively fried those portions of his brain that made him such an arrogant, controlling individual…and controlled what he did and said myself. He would never know what happened to him and neither would anyone else, but he would be acting purely upon my wishes and commands.

Nobody else knew I could do this, not Jesse, not Laura Varady, not Mason Eckhart. Some things, I decided, were best kept to myself. If people were aware of what I could potentially do to them, they might find loving me no longer possible. They might come to fear me. I had resolved to apply this extreme power in self-defense or in the defense of someone I loved. I would not do it in a moment of anger.

"Adam can be…overbearing."

_I'm sure you would know_.

"Well, I didn't care for the way he treated us, and that was before I knew about the scam he was running with the so-called underground."

"Underground scam?"

_You don't know about that_? No, as far as I could tell, Adam had not told her about _that_. _You're good enough to be his accomplice, but not to be told the full extent of the crimes you have enabled_.

"Mutants directed into the underground either had to pay thousands of dollars for their new identities and transportation, or they had to work off these charges in businesses in which Adam held an interest."

_That_ shocked her. She was speechless.

"Some of the people I've talked to called it nothing short of slavery. Some people were kept on the grounds of these businesses in 'dormitories'. They didn't have any money of their own, so they couldn't leave. Going to authorities was out of the questions. These people would like to find Adam and hit him with a civil suit." I smiled. Christina might have been blind to Adam's flaws and misdeeds, but she wasn't stupid.

"This is documented?"

"Yeah. There are people here who lived it."

"This is a shock. I had never heard even a suggestion of anything like this."

"It isn't something Adam advertised, and a lot of the people who went this route didn't want to admit the mess they'd gotten themselves into."

_But you should have wondered about the underground. I did. I asked Adam about it, and he lied when he answered me_.

Throughout, I made quick probes for Adam's location, trying to extract every possible scrap of information that might lead us to him. By now, I was sure I had everything that could be had from Christina. Rebecca had done her part, I had done mine, and now, it was Mason's turn. I pressed a button on his desk to silently summon him.

"I guess that would be embarrassing."

Mason was close by, waiting, and entered his office within ninety seconds of summoning.

"Good morning, Christina." Mason sounded crisp and businesslike.

"Good morning, Mason."

Uncertainty and confusion rolled off of Christina in waves. She was devoted to Adam, but she was also essentially decent and good-hearted. Right now, her heart was deeply troubled.

I rose from Mason's chair. "Mason, Dr Varady needs your signature to go ahead with the department reorganization."

Mason seated himself and signed the form, but the whole exchange was actually code to tell him that I had in mind a city and likely location for Adam, but still lacked a specific address, and that Christina was deeply involved. He handed the form back to me.

"Thanks."

Then I left Christina to Mason's mercy.

_to be continued_


End file.
